Arla has moved to capitalise on the under-pressure soft drinks category by launching a 250ml grab-and-go variant of Cravendale.
The new product will go on sale nationally in Co-op stores (rsp: 65p) on 23 May in a semi-skimmed variant, although Arla also has plans to roll out the drink in the mults and launch a whole milk variant later this year, it confirmed.
Cravendale brand manager Claire Mackintosh said the new variant, which will complement the brand’s existing line-up of 500ml, 1litre, 2litre and 3litre SKUs, had been developed in response to consumer demand for more on-the-go drink options and “healthier, natural alternative to fizzy drinks and juices”.
The SKU will be pitched directly against soft drinks in on-the-go chillers, she added. “This development is part of Arla’s commitment to add value to milk and the wider category, and we felt there was a gap in the market for a mainstream branded white milk offering in this fixture which was available consistently.”
Packaging for the new 250ml variant would reflect its positioning in store and be distinct from the wider Cravendale range, Mackintosh said.
Although it was “new territory” for the brand, Arla hoped the new product would fit in well with current dietary trends and concerns, she added.
“As part of our research into macro trends we saw that consumers were starting to get very concerned about sugar and less concerned about low fat and low calorie options and more focused on naturalness and a more balanced view on their diet.
“We think branded white milk could play very well within those trends.”
The launch will be supported by in-store marketing and digital activity, while Mackintosh promised the wider Cravendale brand had plans for a major new marketing campaign for the wider brand in 2017.
Cravendale saw value sales fall by 7.3% last year to £144.5m, while volume sales fell by 4.8% [The Grocer Top Products Survey 2015]. However, Mackintosh said performance had been “positive” given the wider context of the dairy sector crisis.
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